MORE NUMBERS: The Cubs are still 0-for-the-Lofton-Aramis-Ramirez trade.

HIT PARADE: The new third baseman has a better average than the new leadoff guy. Just to clarify: Not a good thing.

GLOVE STORY: Ramirez made several nice plays and throws Thursday, but I still think we're going to end up calling him E-ramis Ramirez.

HILL OF PROBLEMS: First pitch, Wood falls awkwardly off the mound. Looks like he rolls his right ankle. Later, Kyle Farnsworth looks like he has trouble with the mound. Looks like the Cubs don't even know dirt.

A STEP? Sammy Sosa homered in the first inning, but didn't really hop. And this one hit Waveland Avenue, so there was no doubt. Wonder if that's a sign of changing from showtime to winning time.

NO, WAIT: He hopped on a flyout to the wall in center. Forget it.

SNAP DECISION: You'd almost think the Bears want to keep unsigned Rex Grossman out of camp, just to delay rattling the emotionally homeless Kordell Stewart just by competing.

THEN AGAIN: Maybe Grossman has seen the Bears' offensive tackles.

NO-CONTRACT DRILLS: On the off chance that there were still some fans out there who were optimistic about where the Hawks are headed, GM-for-now Mike Smith has started cutting his offer to Tuomo Ruutu, the player he has bragged about drafting for two years. This would be a big deal if the Hawks organ-I-zation mattered.

STEVE-MAIL: From Randy Doman: "Noticed that Hawk draft choices had problems getting to their summer camp due to visa problems. Any chance that Martha's Vineyard could start a visa program so Mike Smith cannot attend any Hawk functions?"

DIAMOND GIRL: After admitting adultery, Kobe Bryant bought his wife a $4 million, eight-karat purple diamond ring, People magazine reported. Always good to have a big, honking reminder of the most publicly humiliating moment of your life.

MONEY TALKS: The QuesTec camera system that baseball wonks love and umpires and pitchers hate? The company not only faces tax liens, but now has been slapped with a garnish order by its creditors because it is reportedly $500,000-$600,000 in debt. That is so baseball.

TELL YOU WHAT: You know when baseball should be allowed to have QuesTec cameras to catch umpire errors? When baseball has a camera to catch Bud Selig's errors, that's when.

THE END: Sox broadcaster Ed Farmer, on Frank Thomas' homer that almost reached the left-field concourse against the Indians: "People don't go on vacations that long."

AND ANOTHER THING: Major League Baseball is one of the sponsors for Lollapalooza 2003.

During a show last weekend, Steve-O from MTV's "Jackass" was arrested for allegedly urinating in public. The show was near Pittsburgh. Which means the NL gets home-field advantage in the World Series.

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srosenbloom@tribune.com

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